Mashatile: We have a 250 000 title deeds backlog

THE GAUTENG government has a launched an ambitious plan to tackle the backlog of 250 000 title deeds by 2019.

MEC for Human Settlements Paul Mashatile said his department has prioritised the issuing of the important piece of paper.

“Escalating and fast-tracking the issuing of title deeds remains a priority of the department because we believe that any delay in issuing title deeds is a delay in confirming ownership to our people. To this end, we have, in partnership with the Deeds Offices, Municipalities, Master’s Office and Chief Surveyor General’ Office, re-engineered the process,” he said.

“We have also enlisted project management capacity and conveyancers, revised upwards our annual targets, and established a Provincial Title Deeds Steering Committee which serves as a coordinating forum for information and decisions on matters of title deeds. We envisage that by 2019, with these initiatives and the additional capacity we have brought into the department, we will have effectively dealt with the title deeds backlog of 250 000.”

Mashatile said the plan was to ensure that occupants receive their title deeds within a year after moving into their houses.

Plans were also afoot to beef up their security measures by introducing a biometric system.

“Our long-term solution is to establish a biometric system that will help maintain credible information with end to end capabilities to track all information in real time and which cannot be tampered with. Our system will enable us to issue title deeds within the same year that the beneficiary takes occupation of their house, to ensure that backyard dwellers, military veterans and persons with disabilities are clearly identified and listed as beneficiaries. We have already commissioned work in this regard,” he said.

Mashatile said he was confident that their strategic approach and key interventions would drastically increase delivery of human settlements and yield the required results.

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